1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor assembly and, more particularly, to a sensor assembly which comprises a Hall effect sensor.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,168 describes a weight sensor for a vehicular safety restraint system. The patent describes use of a magnet and a Hall effect sensor and describes maintaining a constant air gap between the magnet and the Hall effect sensor.
A known conventional weight sensor used under a vehicle seat comprises a flexible printed circuit (FPC) mat, a mat frame, lock rings that removably connect the mat frame to the FPC mat, a plurality of Hall effect sensors crimped to the FPC mat in the vicinity of the lock rings, and a magnet spring tower removably connected to the mat frame by the lock rings. A problem with this conventional design is that the Hall effect sensor and the magnet spring tower are both separately mated in the FPC mat frame. The design allows the magnet and the Hall effect sensor to move out of perpendicular alignment with one another. There is no assurance that the Hall effect sensor will remain parallel with the magnet. The Hall effect sensor reads the strength of the magnetic field of the magnet. If the two components get out of parallel by as little as 10 degrees, it will impact the way the Hall effect sensor reads the magnetic field. Another problem is that field repair is virtually impossible. The size and delicacy of the Hall effect sensor, and the complexity in assembling the conventional design make replacing a failed Hall effect sensor impractical by a vehicle dealership. Another problem is the large number of components needed to manufacture the conventional design which increases the manufacturing costs and assembly. There is a desire to provide a Hall effect sensor assembly which can overcome the problems noted above.